FOR WHITE SAUCE

Directions

Heat a large pot of water to a boil; salt water and cook pasta to al dente. Drain pasta and return to pot.

While pasta water comes to a boil, heat olive oil in a medium sauce pot over medium-hihg heat, add pancetta and render 2 - 3 minutes. Add ground meats and break up as it browns. When the meat has begun to caramelize and develops a nice brown color, about 4-5 minutes, add carrot, onion, 2 cloves of garlic, allspice, salt and pepper, and bay leaf. Cook 3-4 minutes more to soften onions and carrots, then stir in tomato paste and cook for 2 more minutes; stir in wine and cook out 1 minute then stir in stock and reduce heat to a simmer.

While red sauce cooks, cut remaining garlic and rub the inside of a sauce pan with it. Melt butter in pot over medium heat. Add in flour and whisk together a minute or so, then whisk in milk and bring to a bubble, reduce heat then season sauce with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Thicken 8 - 10 minutes.

Toss pasta with white sauce and 1/2°C grated cheese. Serve pasta in individual bowls and top with a ladle of the meat sauce in the middle of the bowl for mixing. Top each bowl with more cheese if desired.

Reviews

Most Helpful

Weeknight Lasagna Bowl

45

Its an easy recipe to follow, visually appealing and with the addition of some cheese on top and garlic bread and salad; makes a very filling meal. Nothing really pops out about the recipe on the palate, but I think some tweaking of the red sauce might bring back some of the lasagna taste.

It's not the prettiest dinner out there -- but not the worst either. However, my kids love it! One is not a red sauce fan and so he likes it coated in the bechamel with cheese only, and then the other likes it fully loaded. I used canned tomatoes instead of paste, but overall the flavors were very good and not too exotic for picky eaters. Making it for the 2nd time tonight.

I used ground turkey and no other meat. I had no allspice so I used nutmeg in both sauces. And I used half chicken stock/half milk for the white sauce...
I would make this again and again...
It was great!